A federal appeals court on Friday reversed a judge’s decision that would have effectively shuttered an Alaska salmon fishery, a result environmentalists sought in order to protect endangered whales and threatened wild Chinook salmon populations. A three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that a judge in Seattle last year abused his discretion by vacating a key authorization issued by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Services for the fishery’s summer and winter Chinook salmon harvests. U.S. District Judge Richard Jones at the urging of the Wild Fish Conservancy had in May 2023 vacated part of a so-called incidental take statement the fisheries service issued in 2019 that authorized the commercial Chinook salmon troll fishery in southeast Alaska. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:39
Tag Archives: Alaska
For more than a century, a fish plant fueled King Cove’s economy. Without it, can the community survive?
Five months ago, King Cove Mayor Warren Wilson wrote an opinion piece in the Anchorage Daily News. The headline was stark: Fighting For Our Lives in King Cove. Peter Pan Seafood Co., the owner of a plant that had served as the economic engine of the Southwest Alaska town of about 800 for more than a century, had just announced it would cease operations. “As King Cove’s mayor,” he wrote at the time, “it hurts my heart to say that it has taken only a few short months for me to no longer recognize my world. Events have conspired to threaten our very existence.” The seafood industry around the world has been devastated by low fish prices, high interest rates, oversupply in some markets and poor fish returns in others. In Alaska, according to a recent report from NOAA Fisheries, profits fell by half between 2021 and 2023. Few Alaska communities have felt the pain of the seafood industry crisis more than King Cove. With the plant’s owner out of business, residents are left to wonder if their community has a future. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:43
Commercial salmon fishers struggle with low prices
With the commercial salmon season coming to an end, 2024 is shaping up to be a lean year for commercial salmon fishers up and down the West Coast. That’s largely because prices for salmon that fishers receive at the dock are at an unusual low. Warren “Buck” Gibbons lives in Bellingham and has been fishing for sockeye in Bristol Bay, Alaska, since 1976. In a good year, Gibbons said, a Bristol Bay sockeye fisher can gross $300,000–400,000 (they take home less after expenses). But when prices are as low as they were this summer, they’ll gross about $100,000 (again, the take-home pay is less). For a fisher working on a smaller scale, including many tribal fishers, the situation is even grimmer. Dana Wilson of the Lummi Nation said that with prices so low, it hasn’t been worth selling salmon for the last couple years. He now keeps his entire catch to feed his own family and relies mostly on crab for income. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:25
Bering Sea snow crab fishing to resume, but at an ultra-low level to encourage repopulation
After a two-year hiatus forced by low stocks, the Bering Sea snow crab harvest is back on. The decision to reopen the harvest, announced on Oct. 4 by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, is based on signs of recovery in the crab populations. The official harvest opening was Tuesday. Signs of recovery are modest, and so is the allowable catch. The harvest is limited to 4.72 million pounds, a level that is a far cry from the 45-million-pound quota used in the 2020-21 season and similarly large quotas in earlier years. This season’s total allowable catch is the smallest in the history of the fishery, said Mark Stichert, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Kodiak-based management coordinator for groundfish and shellfish harvests. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 19:40
Alaska’s “Imploding” Fishing Industry Has Shed 38,000 Jobs
In an economic review requested by fishermen and processors, NOAA found that profitability dropped by half from 2021-23, and wholesale prices dropped by a quarter in 2022-23. This left the Alaskan seafood industry with a total direct loss of $1.8 billion in 2022-3 and the loss of about 38,000 jobs. “For many Alaskans the decline of their seafood industry affects their pocketbooks, presents food security concerns, and impacts their way of life, sense of place, community, and identity,” NOAA noted. “In the face of evolving climate-driven impacts to ecosystems and fisheries in the region, these recent market disruptions undermine the capacity of all segments of the seafood industry and associated fishing communities to be resilient and survive in fisheries.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:47
Lifelong Commercial Fisherman Loyd Alan “Lanny” Reposa has passed away in Maine
Loyd Alan “Lanny” Reposa, 75, passed away on October 6th, 2024 peacefully at his farm in Maine joining his heavenly family. Born in Wakefield, RI, he was the son of the late Arthur Reposa and Claire Binns, stepson of the late Ruth A Reposa. He was the loving husband of the late Sally Reposa. Lanny was a lifelong resident of South County and commercial fisherman in Point Judith, RI where he owned and operated several boats of the Point Judith fleet. He also fished in Alaska even getting the chance to pass the Titanic discovery and was one of the first captains to introduce freezer fishing to the industry. He embarked to the Grand Banks for a lot of his fishing, remarkably under some of the most brutal and treacherously dangerous conditions (including hurricane Gloria), Lanny always got his vessel and crew back to a safe port without ever losing a crew member. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:14
Multiple groups urge seafloor protections from pelagic trawling
A diverse group of harvesters, conservation entities and others are calling on federal fisheries managers to do more to protect seafloor habitats from midwater trawl nets they say are dragging the bottom of the ocean floor. Midwater, or pelagic trawling — used to catch schooling fish like pollock, is supposed to be fished in the water column rather than on the seafloor. For this reason, pelagic trawling is allowed in most conservation areas closed to bottom trawling — a form of fishing where nets are purposely dragged on the seafloor and damage corals, sponges and other living seafloor habitats in the process. An analysis by the National Marine Fisheries Service indicates that 40% to 100% of the width of pelagic trawl gear fished in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea has been in contact with the seafloor, and that these nets, which range from 50 to 190 yards wide, are dragged for miles. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:12
Is New Bedford the top commercial fishing port in the United States?
New Bedford takes great pride in its port, and its scallopers account for a significant portion of its value. It’s proven that the Port of New Bedford has great value. New Bedford still ranks as the top commercial fishing port by value as recently as 2022, according to figures released by the National Marine Fisheries Service, Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, known as NOAA Fisheries. New Bedford had landed $443.2 million worth of seafood in 2022, again placing it at the top of NOAA Fisheries’ revenue list. That’s thanks in large part to all the scalloper landings in New Bedford contributing to the port’s value. Scallop landings accounted for 84 percent of the value. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:22
Alaska’s seafood industry lost $1.8 billion last year, NOAA report says
A variety of market forces combined with fishery collapses occurring in a rapidly changing environment caused Alaska’s seafood industry to lose $1.8 billion from 2022 to 2023, a new federal report said. The array of economic and environmental challenges has devastated one of Alaska’s main industries, said the report, issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And the losses extend beyond economics, casting doubt on prospects for the future, the report said. The losses also extend beyond Alaska. Nationwide, Alaska’s seafood industry woes caused the loss from 2022 to 2023 of more than 38,000 jobs and a $4.3 billion decline in total U.S. output, the report said. There was also a loss of $269 million in combined state and local tax revenues, the report said. The states most affected beyond Alaska were those on the West Coast. The report breaks down the dollar losses. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:14
In surprising move, Bering Sea snow crab fishery to reopen after 2 year closure
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Friday afternoon that Bering Sea fishermen will be allowed to harvest a total of about 4.7 million pounds of opilio, also known as snow crab, for the first time in two years. According to Fish and Game, estimates of total mature male biomass are above the threshold required to open the fishery. The announcement comes as a surprise to many fishermen, after roughly 10 billion snow crabs disappeared from the Bering Sea over a span of four years, and Fish and Game closed the fishery in 2022. Recently, scientists have learned that the disappearance was likely due to ecological shifts, and there’s been little hope within the industry that stocks would recover anytime soon. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:49
Navigating Alaska’s stormy seas
Norwegian fishermen settled in Petersburg in the 1800s, drawn to its ideal location for pursuing salmon, crab and halibut. Today, hundreds of vessels dock there, selling their catch to the town’s two major processors. These processors head and gut the fish before canning or freezing them for the journey to dinner tables across the world. One of these plants, built over a century ago, is the town’s largest private employer. Few know the industry better than Glorianne Wollen, a fisherman’s daughter who operates a large crab boat and serves as harbourmaster. From her small office, she has witnessed significant change over the years. “In the good old days, the town was alive with discussion,” Wollen recalls. “Everybody had a stake, everybody knew what was going on, and things happened in real-time.” That energy faded as boats grew larger and more efficient, requiring fewer crew members and leading to a more detached industry. Last year, however, the industry faced a crisis that even seasoned veterans struggled to recall. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16;20
Pollock fishery shut down early after unprecedented salmon bycatch in Gulf of Alaska
The National Marine Fisheries Service [NMFS] announced Wednesday, Sept. 25 that it was shutting down the rest of the Central Gulf of Alaska pollock season. That’s after reports that the trawler fleet incidentally caught “unprecedented amounts of Chinook salmon” this week, which comes as the issue of salmon bycatch faces mounting scrutiny. Jonathan Kurland, the Fisheries Services acting regional administrator for the Alaska region. said the closure was necessary to “prevent exceeding the 2024 Chinook salmon prohibited species catch limit.” The Kodiak-based trade group Alaska Groundfish Data Bank said in a press release on Sept. 24 that two fishing vessels trawling for pollock on Sept. 22 came upon a hotspot of Chinook salmon, which the organization described as an “extremely unprecedented amount.” The vessels were in an area adjacent to Kodiak Island. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 15:01
Tribal groups, seeking restrictions on Alaska’s Bering Sea trawlers, get day in court
U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason heard oral arguments Thursday in a lawsuit filed by two of Alaska’s largest tribal groups against federal managers of the state’s groundfish trawl fisheries. The Association of Village Council Presidents and the Tanana Chiefs Conference claim the federal government has failed to adjust trawling rules in the Bering Sea and off the Aleutian Islands to compensate for the ongoing salmon crisis on Alaska’s Interior rivers. Victory by the plaintiffs could lead to new restrictions on the world’s largest trawl fishery. If plaintiffs lose, the status quo is likely to continue. On Thursday, Gleason asked plaintiffs whether they’re seeking a halt to trawl fishing in the Bering Sea. No, the plaintiffs said. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:27
Cook Inlet fisheries to get $9.4M in disaster relief for 2018, 2020
Two Cook Inlet salmon fisheries will receive more than $9.4 million in federal disaster relief that was held up, in part, by technical difficulties. They’re among ten Alaska fisheries getting money, the state’s Congressional delegation announced Friday. In all, ten fisheries across the state will receive $277 million for disasters dating back to 2018. They include 2020’s Upper Cook Inlet salmon fishery and 2018’s Upper Cook Inlet east side setnet fishery. Other fisheries that will receive money through the distribution include Bering Sea crab, Kuskokwim River and Norton Sound salmon and Gulf of Alaska pacific cod. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:39
DOCUMENTARY ON THE WAY EXPOSING THE ILLEGAL SINKING OF THE 110’ MV WILD ALASKAN AND COAST GUARD MISCONDUCT
Darren Byler of Kodiak Alaska has been fighting the local Coast Guard Station for almost a decade now for what Byler calls a “Politically Motivated Fraud Filled Phony Poopy Conviction that the United States Government has now spent approximately 1.3 million Dollars to date investigating, prosecuting and defending against Byler’s civil claims. Byler filed a 10 million 
dollar civil lawsuit against the United States Coast Guard approximately two years ago and is still fighting the government for the opportunity to have a civil trial. The Wild Alaskan Story has now caught the attention of internationally acclaimed Producer and Cinematographer Doug Stanley founding Producer and Director of Photography of Discovery Channel’s hit series “Deadliest Catch”. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:21
Original Peter Pan Seafood investor wins auction for troubled company’s assets
One of the original investors in a troubled Alaska seafood company has narrowly outbid competitor Silver Bay Seafoods in an auction for the firm’s assets — including a major processing plant in the Alaska Peninsula village of King Cove. Rodger May, an entrepreneur and fish trader, bid $37.3 million for the assets of Peter Pan Seafood, including two other processing plants — one in the Bristol Bay hub town of Dillingham and another in a remote part of the Alaska Peninsula called Port Moller. May’s bid was $257,000 higher than the bid offered by Silver Bay Seafoods, a major Alaska seafood company that’s expanded rapidly in recent years. The sale of Peter Pan, which operates primarily in Alaska with a business headquarters in Washington, isn’t final. A confirmation hearing in Peter Pan’s receivership case — a bankruptcy-like proceeding overseen by a Seattle court — is scheduled for Oct. 3. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 11:36
US Coastal Communities Fight for Space for Small-scale Fishermen
U.S. coastal waters are a public good increasingly at risk of privatization, threatening local economies that have depended on the sea for generations, fishermen and environmental advocates warned. Critics point to efforts to open up waters to industrial-scale fish farms, (offshore wind farms), a federal permit system they say is stacked against small or new operators, and even coastal real estate development squeezing out independent businesses. “There is another real estate grab, but it’s in the ocean,” said Jason Jarvis, a commercial fisherman in Rhode Island who has been fishing for three decades and also sits on the board of the North American Marine Alliance (NAMA), a national network that seeks to boost fishing communities. “This is a gold rush,” said Crystal Canney, executive director of Protect Maine’s Fishing Heritage Foundation, which has worked on model legislation to help towns push back. The efforts are prompting inquiries from concerned communities in other coastal states, she said. “The questions are really, do we have any rights?” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:30
Celebrate wild sockeye salmon — the harvest that powers Bristol Bay’s economy and feeds the world
It’s the time of year again when children have returned to school and seemingly endless daylight gives way to shorter days and cooler nights. In the Bristol Bay region of Alaska, it is viewed less as the end of another summer, and more as the end of another salmon season. Many weeks of hard work harvesting and preserving tens of millions of salmon to feed our families, communities and the rest of the world has come to an end. I can’t think of a better time to pause and celebrate Bristol Bay’s wild salmon. We celebrate the incredible journey every single salmon makes; traveling thousands of miles in its life to return to its birthplace and complete the cycle of life. Over the week of Sept. 9, a diverse coalition of commercial fishermen, business leaders, lodge owners, Alaska Native people and others, all from the Bristol Bay region, is bringing this celebration to the nation’s capital. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<10:15
Community steps up after family loses father in Alaska fishing accident
Cheyenne Hoy keeps her husband’s shoes and hat in their bedroom. The camouflage-patterned Crocs and ball cap have become some of the most important and precious items for her. They were what Clayton Hoy, 36, was wearing when he fell overboard from his salmon fishing vessel early on the morning of July 25 near Egegik, Alaska, on the east side of Bristol Bay. He wasn’t wearing a life jacket at the time and his crew heard the splash when their captain hit water. The crew of the F/V Warmaster radioed for help at 2:45 a.m. and the United States Coast Guard, Alaska Wildlife Trooper and Good Samaritan boats searched the water for a day and a half before the search was suspended, according to KDLG, the public radio station in Bristol Bay. “We were all very hopeful, but it didn’t turn out that way,” Cheyenne said. Clayton’s shoes were found a few days later in a mudbank by local volunteers who were searching by boat and by foot for the fisherman. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:46
Wondering where the fish have gone
Howard Kantner watches for hits on the net.
KOTZEBUE — It’s raining again, the wind rising and waves sloshing over the grass. I’m yanking at corkline, struggling to stack my salmon nets into old army totes, to protect them from mice and weather for another winter. Commercial fishing in Kotzebue Sound is closed, over before it really started. A complete bust, exponentially worse than any in the past 51 years I’ve participated in this fishery. Catches were dismal in July and many of us assumed — or tried to believe — that the run was late. Rumors swirled around town: about beluga whales, killer whales, warm water, cold water, and villagers up the Noatak and Kobuk rivers catching runs we’d allegedly missed. I didn’t believe it and kept hoping the dearth of fish was tied to changes some of us have noticed over the decades: how the peak of the run has been arriving later and later in August. Our last best season, two years ago, was slow in July, and in August more salmon flooded in than we’d seen before. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:05
PWS, Cook Inlet sockeye catch exceeded harvest projections
As the sockeye salmon harvest season comes to a close, only Bristol Bay, Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet surpassed their pre-season predictions, with harvests of 31.1 million, 3.1 million and 2 million reds respectively. Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound were also the only two regions to show year-over-year growth and exceeding harvest projections, says Simon Marks, a research analyst for McKinley Research Group in Juneau, who writes the weekly in-season commercial wild Alaska salmon report on behalf of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. While Bristol Bay has already surpassed the pre-season sockeye prediction by 19%, year-to-date harvest remains 23% behind 2023, Marks said on Aug. 27. Initial predictions for the 2025 season indicate an expected harvest of 32.4 million fish, a 2.8% gain if realized. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:26
Everson man falls overboard commercial boat, dies
In the early hours of Saturday, Aug. 24, Cheyenne Hoy gave birth to her baby girl, Fiona Rose. Tragically, her husband Clayton was not able to be with his family. Hoy, a commercial fisherman, went missing on July 25 after he fell overboard his boat near Egegik, Alaska. On Aug. 12, he was confirmed dead. Cheyenne Hoy said Clayton “was our everything and sole provider for our family.” “He truly loved fishing and learned everything from his father,” Cheyenne said. Through his father, Guy Hoy, Clayton became a commercial salmon fisherman. Since age 15, he crewed with his father, then became his own captain. Cheyenne explained that 2024 was Clayton’s third year with his own boat and he “was already one of the top boats in the bay.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:12
Commercial fisherman Clayton Hoy, who went missing July 25 after a fall overboard near Egegik, was confirmed dead on August 12. Clayton Hoy, a 36-year-old from Washington, fell overboard from a commercial fishing boat, the F/V Warmaster. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 18:14
Overall impact of disastrous pink salmon fishery still being calculated
Fallout from what’s being described by commercial fishermen as a pink salmon disaster in Prince William Sound is still being calculated, but troubling times began earlier this year when high insurance costs kept some from ever going out in their boats. Low runs of humpies, mounting fuel costs and some processors opening up late all appear to be spelling big economic challenges for the Prince William Sound economy. “It’s going to be a big hit for the town,” said Cordova City Council Member Kristen Carpenter, who is anticipating a significant loss of raw fish tax dollars to the city this year. “It was an absolute disaster,” said veteran salmon harvester John Renner, chair of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s Copper River/Prince William Sound Advisory Committee. One young man lost his boat, said Renner. “Anyone who has payments to make is in trouble unless they have dual permits and are making money off of gillnetting or longlining,” he said. “Fuel is $5 a gallon and insurance costs are up 25%.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:55
The Snow Crab Collapse: A Tale of Unproven Assumptions and Overlooked Explanations
The sudden decline in the snow crab population in the Bering Sea has triggered considerable concern among scientists, fisheries, and environmentalists alike. The collapse is alarming not only because of its immediate economic impact but also due to the broader implications for marine ecosystems. However, a critical examination of the prevailing explanations for this phenomenon reveals a troubling reliance on speculation rather than solid evidence. The central thesis of the NOAA Fisheries report—that warmer water temperatures increased snow crab metabolism, leading to their downfall—requires a more skeptical analysis. In this post, we’ll explore the weaknesses of this hypothesis, examine other plausible causes, and argue for a more comprehensive approach to understanding this ecological mystery. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:27
Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers Welcome Representation on NPFMC
In a significant development for the Alaska Bering Sea crab industry, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce has announced the appointment of Jamie Goen, a dedicated advocate from the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC) to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC). Goen will fill the vacant Washington state seat for the remainder of the term, following the unexpected passing of former member Kenny Down. This appointment marks a two-year term where Goen is expected to continue the work of ensuring fair and sustainable fisheries management. Goen’s appointment has been met with enthusiasm from the crab fishing community, which has long valued her commitment to the industry. more, >>CLICK TO READ<<10:30
Sitka mariner dies in engine room accident
A Sitka fisherman died on Monday (8-19-24), after an accident in the engine room of his boat. Alaska State Troopers report that 75-year-old Barry McKee was fishing aboard his troller Lisa Jean in the vicinity of Salisbury Sound, about 20 miles northwest of Sitka, when he became entangled in mechanical gear below decks and was killed. McKee’s crewman was uninjured in the incident. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:45
Ketchikan man charged with illegal fishing and theft of crab pots
A Ketchikan man is being charged with a series of misdemeanor and felony charges related to illegal fishing and theft of Dungeness crab pots. 47-year-old David Vest was arrested on Friday and his fishing boat, the F/V Silver Surfer, was seized by Alaska Wildlife Troopers. Troopers said they received numerous complaints from another commercial crabber that he suspected Vest and his crew were stealing his Dungeness crab pots and his catch. So a trooper camped out near Etolin Island, between Wrangell and Ketchikan, and waited for the Silver Surfer to show up. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 20:37
US appeals court allows Alaska fishery to remain open
Alaska Trollers Association takes a swing at Fish and Game and Alaska sport fishery over shortened season
Commercial trolling for Southeast king salmon closed for the season in July and will not reopen this month. That marks the second summer in a row their season has ended before they could catch all of their yearly king allocation under an international agreement. Now, the trade group representing them — the Alaska Trollers Association — is outraged. Southeast trollers have around 15,000 kings left in their annual allocation. That’s the number of kings trollers get to catch under an agreement between the United States and Canada known as the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The trollers caught most of their allocation — 83%, or 82,000 fish — during the first and longest opener in July. Typically, the rest of the allocation would be caught in a mid-August opening. But that second opening won’t be happening. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 16:02
‘Huge disaster’: Historically weak pink salmon runs strain Alaska’s seine fishermen
Expectations were low this year for the pink salmon runs that power Prince William Sound’s commercial fishing industry. But no one expected them to be as bad as they’ve been. With just a few weeks left in the season, the sound’s seine fleet has harvested just one-fourth the number of pinks that it would have caught by now in a typical year. The small runs have forced 
managers to close fishing for longer periods than usual. And even during openers, fishermen are reporting abysmal harvests. Some have quit early. Others are thinking about new jobs.” It is incredibly slow,” said Megan Corazza, a Homer-based seine fisherman who has fished in the sound for more than two decades. “It is the worst year I have ever seen with my own operation.” It’s a big blow to an industry already reeling from a global market crisis that sent dock prices plummeting last year. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:31
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $105 Million for West Coast and Alaska Salmon
Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced more than $105 million in recommended funding for 14 new and continuing salmon recovery projects and programs. Located along the West Coast and in Alaska, these state and tribal efforts will be funded through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF). The funds include Fiscal Year 2024 annual appropriations as well as $34.4 million under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $7.5 million under the Inflation Reduction Act, and will aid programs and projects in Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington that include habitat restoration, stock enhancement, sustainable fisheries and research and monitoring. “This $105 million investment, made possible thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, will build on decades of salmon recovery work, while helping Pacific coast Tribes and Alaska Natives sustain their communities and cultural traditions in the face of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This is a result of the most ambitious climate agenda in history, and I am proud that nearly half of all funds in this announcement are being awarded to Tribal applicants.” more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 17:55
